Please send the
following letter (modify it to reflect your experiences) to your elected
officials in Congress. And send it to Secretary Thompson, too, at

Secretary
Thompson

Dept.
of Health and Human Services

200
Independence Ave.

SW,
Washington, DC 20201.

The Honorable
_____________

US House of
Representatives

Washington, DC 20515

or

The Honorable
_____________

US Senate Washington, DC
20510

RE: Neglect of
Men's Health

Dear Congressman
_________________,

On February 14,
Representatives Duke Cunningham and Jim McDermott introduced the Men's Health
Act (H.R. 632). This bill now has 68 co-sponsors in the House of
Representatives.

The
Representatives also requested that DHHS Secretary Tommy Thompson
administratively establish an Office of Men's Health, and include that in his
funding request for FY 2002. On April 9, Secretary Thompson released his
proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2002.

His budget includes $0
for an Office of Men's Health.

In contrast, the
DHHS Office of Women's Health is slated for a whopping $10 million increase,
from $17 million in FY 2001 to $27 million in FY 2002.

In January, Men's Health
America documented that men's health programs in DHHS lag by a 5:1 margin. If
approved, Thompson's budget request would only worsen that disparity.

I support women's
health. But men die 6 years sooner than women in this country.

Don't men deserve an
equal chance at life? Please contact Secretary Thompson and demand that
the DHHS establish the Office of Men's Health, and pay equal attention to the
health needs of men. Sincerely,